CALGARY — Kaillie Humphries and her team made history a year ago when she became the first woman to pilot a four-person bobsleigh in a World Cup event.
It was a gender-neutral move that got a lot of attention, but now just how equal she’s been treated is in question.
The two-time Olympic champion doesn’t call it sexism but says she’s being excluded from Team Canada this year.
“Being a woman, I’m the only one in this scenario,” Humphries told Global News. “I’m not able to grow, and develop and learn.”
READ MORE: Kaillie Humphries breaks through gender rules; makes sport history
Humphries has qualified to pilot a four-person bobsleigh herself, but some of her teammates haven’t met the same level to be allowed to compete.
“It’s actually not about Kaillie,” said Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton president Sarah Storey.
“It’s about the fact that two other athletes, and irrelevant what their gender is, are ahead of Kaillie.”
The sport’s world governing body says Canada can have three sleds this year — one specifically for Humphries — but Bobsleigh Canada says its standards are higher for its athletes than on the world level and won’t yet commit to filling all three teams.
Storey insists it’s all about competitors meeting the performance standards and has nothing to do with gender.
“The standard, I feel, is extremely high and extremely harsh in order for any athlete in our program to excel,” said Humphries.
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Bobsleigh Canada said Humphries can choose to participate in non-World Cup races to build up her team’s skills.
But because that circuit happens at the same time as the World Cup events, it’s impossible for her to do that and defend her two-person bobsleigh title in the women’s event.
“The World Cup is not for participants or tourists, or for people to come in at the bottom quarter,” said Storey.
“Canada sends the best teams and gives them the best opportunity to achieve those medals.”
Storey points out, even the team slated to fill the second sled — made up of all men — hasn’t qualified either.
READ MORE: Women make bobsled history, drive against men in international race in Utah
It could reconsider how many sleds Canada will enter into the last part of the season, after the first three races this year, but it says it’s up to the athletes — female or male — to meet the standards.
Humphries said she only wants to grow the sport and feels this isn’t the way to do it.
“No one comes straight from the streets and can be an Olympic champion,” said Humphries.
“It takes time to get there and that’s what I’m asking for.”
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